Green Ghana Volunteers

Minister asks traditional healers to certify their services

posted Oct 31, 2010, 5:36 PM by Ghana Medical Volunteers

Mr Rojo Mettle Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, on Thursday asked
traditional healers not to make categorical statements about their
services until the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) had conducted clinical
trials on them.

He also asked the Traditional Medicine Practice Council to bring sanity
into their profession by enforcing their code of ethics. Mr Nunoo was
addressing the practitioners at a day's conference organised by the New
Agenda Foundation, a non- governmental organisation.

It was aimed at integrating the practitioners into the health delivery
system. The Deputy Minister said government recognises the role of
traditional medicine hence the need to regulate their practice.
Answering a question on the alleged harassment and arrest of traditional
healers by the FDB, he said although he was not comfortable with the
operation, the board must be allowed to weed out the charlatans.

Mr Kwesi Boakye, Executive Director of the Foundation said the
conference was aimed at making the participants to understand the need
for regulation to bring sanity into their practice. In Interview with
the Ghana News Agency, Head of Public Relation, Mr James Lartey said the
FDB has not erred in regulating activities of the practitioners,
quoting section 16 of the FDB law. He said the law forbids adverts for
the treatment and cure of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV/ AIDS,
heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, kidney stone, hernia, pneumonia,
Tuberculosis, small pox among other ailments. Mr Boakye said it is the
duty of the Board to protect public health and safety.